Big Brother 14: Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan...

By BBenthusiast, August 27, 2012

Confusion about what to think of one of America's Favorite Houseguests

Note: Originally written 8/26/12 11:39 AM

Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan --- I'm totally confused about what to think of one of America's favorite HGS--and one of the HGs considered to be among the best 2 or 3 ever to have played the game, AND the single only HG to sweep the jury votes for the win in his season.

This year it doesn't look like that'll be the case. He is turning out to be one of the big enigma's of this year's game. He did his usual ingratiating thing he always does--get to know all the HGs, be outwardly polite and decent, but underneath be a totally driven, cunning, savvy player with a capital P. But, through a combination of bad luck and timing, missed opportunities and bad luck at the HOHs/POVs, some which he threw, some which he didn't, this is not turning out to be Dan's game.

And we're seeing a side of Dan which ain't great. And no one knows that more than Dan, himself! Something we're seeing this year is a temper which is apparently pretty ferocious--showing up in his frustration with and anger at Ian. Dan has taken the heat for the young 20 year old, and is totally conflicted as to how to handle this "kid" as he refers to Ian. Although he's tried to keep that anger hidden, it has apparently been a roiling boil which spluttered and spilled out during that special game where Ian outsmarted Dan to get that extra POV. If what Joe says is true about that "confrontation" between Ian and Dan--Dan's words to Ian were pretty brutal. We can imagine that Dan, as a football coach, is ALL about winning. Losing is totally anathema to Dan. But he is seeing the writing on the wall, that he IS losing, and he is growing ever more confused at how to handle the game, the Quack Pack and the "kid"! As of Sunday at least, it looks like he is having a hard time keeping his emotional act together, which is about as un-Danlike as can be imagined. Gone is the cool, calculated, supremely efficient HG of BB10. In its place is someone who apparently is breaking down in his private DRs, who has lost his temper, but worse (in his own eyes) has let that temper be shown, and who has become completely flummoxed, and very simply, has lost his cool. This makes Ian all the more this year's driving force of the game. Not only has he truly engineered Boogie's demise, but now apparently Dan's as well! But somehow, I don't see Dan giving Ian a "tip of the hat".

One aspect of Dan this year that I find kind of nauseating is his live eviction vote comments. His over-the-top flattery of Julie (or Mrs. Chen as he has liked to call her, even when she tells him that's not her married name), about her looking "ravishing" and being the "most beautiful and best" game show host comes across as smarmy and insincere--even sort of sexist. Does he think it's charming or funny? "Mrs. Chen" certainly doesn't think so--and that seems obvious.

Also--and this is the big one, and maybe because it is occurring during this election year with so many politicians trying to "pull fast ones" on the public in quasi-interviews that end up being so gosh darn transparent--not admitting this or that, saying one thing, but avoiding answering another thing, or making a quick "segue" onto a different topic to avoid responding to whatever it is they don't want to admit or answer so that they can actively fool the listeners.

Dan has said a couple things in the those live evictions which were strange--and both involve Janelle. In his DR statement when he cast his vote to evict her, he said, oh so sincerely, "Sorry America, I tried to keep her, but I have to evict Janelle". Then later, when he cast his vote to evict Boogie he said, "This is for Janelle--I vote to evict Mike". Come on folks, those of us watching feeds know darn well that Dan embraced the eviction of Janelle. YES--initially he was hesitant in turning on Janelle, but when the die was cast, he embraced it fully, and Janelle became toast. Dan COULD have easily kept his minions together to avoid Danielle nominating Janelle. Dan turned on Janelle period. BUT, probably being keenly aware of the "America Hates Shelley Moore" facebook sites, he didn't want to face the same fallout, so he smarmily apologizes to America for Janelle and gives her one last bon-bon in voting subsequently to evict Boogie, declaring with passion "This is for Janelle". Baloney. That was for Dan.

Dan's been all over the place this year, some not of his own doing, but some of it his own fault. I admired Dan in BB10, and found some of his actions to be laudable, sincere and kind. This year, he has been an interesting HG to watch, but not an ingratiating one, and certainly not worthy of getting any votes in THIS election year!